Helmut Marko has urged Red Bull to get their ‘turbulence’ under control amid the ongoing investigation into team principal Christian Horner. The Formula One boss is being probed over allegations of inappropriate behaviour, which he denies, following a complaint by a female employee to Red Bull’s parent company in Austria.
The saga has cast a dark cloud over Red Bull ahead of the new season, with Horner’s future said to be hanging in the balance as the investigation continues. He intends to be present at the launch of the RB20 on Thursday and was at Silverstone for the team’s shakedown run on Tuesday.
Marko, who has served in an advisory role at Red Bull since they entered F1 in 2005, believes the team are ‘well prepared’ but wants the situation regarding Horner to be dealt with as quickly as possible.
Asked if the Horner case is affecting Red Bull’s preparations, Marko told OE24: “I can’t tell you that, nor can I say anything else on this subject. As long as the investigation is ongoing or there is no result, you won’t hear anything from me. It is an ongoing process.
“I hope that we can get our turbulence under control quickly. Fortunately, our car is ready and we are well prepared.”
Red Bull will go into the new season as the team to beat, having firmly established themselves as the commanding force in F1. They completed a clean sweep last year in one of the most dominant seasons on record, with Max Verstappen cruising to the individual honours ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez.
It remains to be seen if the investigation into Horner will risk derailing Red Bull’s efforts to stay ahead of their rivals when the new season gets underway. The saga could reportedly drag on until after next month’s Bahrain Grand Prix, with Horner likely to face subsequent rounds of questioning as he looks to prove his innocence.
In a statement earlier this month, Red Bull said they were taking the matter ‘extremely seriously’ and that a conclusion would be reached ‘as soon as practicable’. It read: “After becoming aware of recent allegations, the company initiated an independent investigation. This investigation, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialised lawyer.
“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be complete as soon as practicable. It would not be appropriate to make any further comments at this time.”
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